Snail Email: Louth and Horncastle broadband is ‘unacceptable’

John Fieldhouse

Louth and Horncastle MP Victoria Atkins is calling on BT to improve its superfast broadband service in the area after describing the current service as ‘unacceptable’.

But those behind the roll-out of the service - Onlincolnshire which works with BT - insists more than 60 per cent of the area already has access to superfast fibre broadband. And they say more than 1,000 properties across the county are being given access to faster broadband every week.

This comes after Ms Atkins told a House of Commons debate on broadband that she had received correspondence from BT stating that overall coverage in Louth and Horncastle was just 22 per cent - the government’s target is 95 per cent.

But the figure she was given seems to just refer to the 8,250 properties BT alone has covered and does not include the Onlincolnshire project to bring the service to more homes and businesses across the county.

Ms Atkins welcomed the higher figure but remains unimpressed by the coverage stating: “The government target of 95 per cent is still not being reached here in Louth and Horncastle. When speaking to residents throughout the constituency I am told repeatedly how this poor provision negatively affects their quality of life.

“This lack of access affects the performance of local businesses at a time when we are working hard to create a thriving economy here in Louth and Horncastle. It also affects the quality of life for residents who are unable to access services such as online banking and emails which are important in modern-day life.

“I am launching my Constituency Commission over the summer. Residents are invited to tell the Commission of any issues they have with internet access so that we can build a picture of where access is inadequate.

“I will work with the other Lincolnshire MPs to push for improvements to the service provided by BT to ensure our county has the provision it deserves.”

Ms Atkins added: “It is simply not acceptable that many of my constituents do not have adequate broadband access.

“Access to broadband was the first campaign I launched last year, acting on the concerns of local residents and businesses.”

A spokesman for Onlincolnshire said: “In reality, broadband speeds in Louth and Horncastle are far better than has been reported.

“More than 60 per cent of homes and businesses in the area already have access to superfast fibre broadband, and this figure will continue to increase over the coming months.

“Across the county, we’re now bringing faster broadband to over 1,000 properties a week, which is a fantastic achievement.

“All people need to do to enjoy the benefits is contact their internet service provider and upgrade their package. The Onlincolnshire project has made fibre broadband available to more than 19,000 properties in the Louth and Horncastle area. This builds on the 8,250 properties covered by BT’s own commercial rollout.”